Main purpose of job:

We are looking to recruit a high performing HEO who will report to and support the Deputy Development Director (DDD), the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) and the Local Senior Leadership (SLT) Team to develop and deliver on the Somalia Country Plan through providing leadership on cross-cutting corporate and policy issues.

The post holder will head up the co-ordination function of the Results, Effectiveness, Assurance and Coordination Hub (REACH). They will provide strategic oversight of the support to the SLT, line managing the Executive Assistants (EAs) to both the Ambassador and the Development Director.

They will lead a number of corporate and cross-cutting processes and tasks in order to support the Overseas Network to deliver efficiently and effectively, working in collaboration with REACH colleagues and others across the Network.

The role will support and facilitate effective collaboration with partners across government, the Somalia Team (in London) and the Somalia Overseas Network. This will include providing effective secretariat support to network governance arrangements including the Somalia Country Strategy Board and SLT meetings. The role may also, working alongside others, support the secretariat for the Somalia Donor Group (SDG) whilst the UK is Chair.

This is a fast-paced, diverse and exciting role at the heart of the Somalia Network. The successful candidate will need to be proactive, able to operate effectively in a high-pressure context and manage a large and varied workload, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships across the FCDO and externally.

Roles and responsibilities:

Chief of Staff jobs are highly diverse, responsive and flexible, and evolve according to the needs and challenges at any point. In this role you will:

• Support, guide and provide leadership on the Somalia Overseas Network’s governance to ensure this effectively supports the delivery of the Country Plan and the Network’s agreed values which underpin this. This will include providing the secretariat for the Country Strategy Board, ensuring the Board operates according to central guidance and meets the network and senior leadership’s needs and objectives. You will also support the effective management of the local Senior Leadership Team (SLT). In both cases this will involve shaping agendas, ensuring effective document management including preparation of papers for meetings, record keeping, and circulation of minutes and ensuring action on points of follow-up.
• Lead Network engagement with development actors and partners. This will include co-ordinating senior engagement with other external partners, and managing the Network’s relationships with commercial partners to ensure appropriate accountability and oversight for UK resources. Working with others in the Network, the postholder may also support the secretariat for the Somalia Donor Group (SDG) whilst the UK is chair. This would involve working with the Development Director (DD) and Deputy DD (DDD) on the UK’s key policy objectives, feeding points into meetings and multi-donor processes.
• Ensure effective functioning of Somalia Network, supporting the leadership to make effective decisions through proactive cross-network co-ordination. This includes responsibility for keeping network documentation and system information up to date (organograms, distribution lists, post information documentation and MS Teams areas), developing and maintaining information products such as programme summaries and results scripts, overseeing the Somalia Enquiries mailbox, and commissioning work to teams and managing delivery where appropriate. Through line management of two EAs, you will also build and lead an effective Private Office function to provide strategic and administrative support to the Network leadership.
• Provide strategic support to the Network leadership on a range of often sensitive corporate, policy and people issues, providing advice to seniors and communicating leadership views to the Network. This will include areas such as Business Planning, agility, prioritisation, the Africa Network Review and Spending Reviews.
• Line manage the Executive Assistants to the Ambassador (HMA) and DD. You will guide their work day-to-day to ensure that they provide effective support to HMA and DD including excellent diary management, strategic prioritisation of their time, appropriate briefing and effective travel management. You will also support their personal and professional development.
• Have the opportunity to work on cross-cutting policy areas such as climate change and resilience, to support policy development and implementation.
• Need to be willing to flex/adapt to changes in role according to evolving priorities.

Be expected to undertake SAFE+ training, and to travel regularly to Mogadishu and Hargeisa.

Resources managed:

• Excellent communications skills and ability to engage with partners from across teams and geographies
• Proactive, able to work independently and follow workstreams through to completion
• Experience of drafting high quality documents, and at pace
• Strong people skills and experience
• Proven systems management and improvement experience